Blacktown City state firm claim for title

RUTHLESS, clinical, and classy.
Mark Crittenden’s Blacktown City marked themselves out as a cut above the rest with a resounding, thumping 6-1 victory over Sydney United 58 FC at Edensor Park.
From the get-go, Blacktown City were different gravy. 
Their passing was a delight and they were so ruthless in front of goal, some of their players could have signed up for a firing squad.
Joe Gibbs scored a hat trick, while Conor Evans, substitute Patrick Antelmi and the unfortunate Ibrahim Haydar (own goal), all found the back of the net.
In the wash up, it was difficult to remember United 58’s goal being of any relevance, but Chris Triantis’ goal should be remembered for the sensational Robbie Mileski pass which set him up.
It won’t be though, because from start to finish Blacktown City was on top and their performance was a joy to behold.
The match hadn’t even kicked into gear when Gibbs opened the scoring, heading in a corner from the left.
It was a rude awakening for United 58, and Blacktown City didn’t rest on their laurels after taking the lead.
A mistimed clearance from Haydar fell to Gibbs, whose clever back heel was saved by Justin Pasfield, before Evans struck to double the lead.
Gibbs was given too much time to turn in the centre of the park, and he sprayed a lovely ball out to Danny Choi. He found Major, whose accuracy of cut back was matched only by Evans’ finish, which was hammered past Pasfield.
United 58 needed to respond and they did, if only momentarily, four minutes later.
Mileski played a gorgeous pass with the outside of his boot, which sliced open the Blacktown City defence. Triantis dinked the ball over the onrushing Nenad Vekic and it was game on. Or so it seemed.
Mileski’s looping header bounced off the top of the cross bar, while Major shot over the bar, before Choi drew a save from a back peddling Pasfield, whose bungled clearance led to the opportunity.
Right on the strike of half time, Blacktown City had their third, when Haydar headed into his own net. A Yianni Fragogiannis cross from the right drew Pasfield from his line, but the keeper only flapped at the ball. Haydar was possibly unsighted and without time to redirect his header, could only send it into his own goal.
United 58 had golden chance to halve the deficit within two minutes of the start of the second half.
Zac Cairncross fouled Richard Cardozo, but Nikas was missing his usual unerring accuracy from the spot, as his penalty bounced back off the post and into the field of play.
Vekic acrobatically saved Cardozo’s free kick, but there was nothing his opposite number Pasfield could do about the fourth.
A gorgeous, perfectly weighted pass by Sasa Macura set Antelmi away and after he left Emmanuel Giannaros for dead, he clipped the ball past Pasfield. 
A hallmark of this Blacktown City is how relentless they are when they build up a head of steam, and they showed no signs of letting up.
Gibbs added his second when his free kick snuck through the wall and past Pasfield, and he was on the spot at the near post to convert a lovely cross by substitute Daniel Araujo to complete his hat trick. 
Match Stats
Sydney United 58 FC 1 (Triantis 25′)Blacktown City 6 (Gibbs 8′ 74′ 80′, Evans 21′, Haydar OG 45′, Antelmi 70′)
Sunday May 31, 2015
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Referee: Alex King
Assistant Referees: Lance Greenshields and Danny Horstead
Fourth Official: Matthew McOrist
Sydney United 58 FC: Pasfield; Giannaros, Haydar (C), Kofinas, Bilic, Zuvela (Stamatellis 46′), Paric (Makrys 77′), Triantis, Cardozo, Mileski (Bosma 66′), Nikas
Substitutes not used: Sherlock, Tomic
Yellow cards: Paric 24′, Nikas 73′
Blacktown City: Vekic; Fragogiannis, Cairncross (C), Lewis, Speranza, Macura, Perkatis, Evans (Araujo 76′), Major, Choi (Antelmi 55′), Gibbs (Perre 86′)
Substitutes not used: Prendergast, Beumie
Player ratings:
3 Joe Gibbs (BCFC)
2 Conor Evans (BCFC)
1 Patrick Antelmi (BCFC)
– by Matthew Lopez, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 1 Editor, at Sydney United Sports Centre